By-pass for air cleaners



April 12, 1932. M. L. BLAlR BY-PASS FOR AIR CLEANERS Fil ed Sept. 2 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Z. n w/ M. L. BLAIR April 12; 1932.

BY-PASS FOR AIR CLEANERS Filed Sept. 26

1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gjwuentoz 772.47% 56/417,

al bozweqo Patented Apr. 12,- 1932 p I 1,853,495

* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE? MARK L. BLAIR, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO A O SPARK PLUG COMPANY, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN, .ACOBPORATION OF MICHIGAN BY-PASS FOR AIR CLEANERS Application filed September 26, 1927. Serial No.'22 2 ,137.

This invention relates to improvements in vide an air cleaner having avalve controlled air cleaners and, though of general applicaair intake opening. a tion, is particularly applicable to air cleaners Other ob ects of the invention will appear used to clean the air to be supplied to the carin the course of the following description of 5 buretors of internal combustion engines. the embodiments of my invention "which are 55 When an air cleaner is used to clean the shown in the accompanying drawings in air to be supplied to the carburetor of an inwhich: 7 ternal combustion engine, it is usually posi- F gure 11s a side elevation, with parts in tioned on the end of a conduit leading to the sect1on and broken away, of-an air cleaner in air intake of the carburetor, the air being which is embodied my invention. av

drawn through the cleaner and into the car- Figure 2' is an end elevation of the air buretor by the suction produced in the cylinf cleaner shown in Figure 1 with the bracket der or cylinders of the engine on the inducand its securing nut removed. tion stroke. The air cleaner inherently offers 1 Flgure 31s a view, similar to Figure 1, of

1. considerable. resistance to the current of air anogher typelpfdair1 cleaner in which my inc which is passin through it and being ven on is em 0, ie o a cleaned. When tli e engine is running at nor- Figure 4: 1s a View, similar to Figure 2, of nial speeds suflicient air for. the needs of the the air cleaner shown in Figure 3. engine can be drawn into the carburetor Figure 51s a fragmentary sectional view 2 through the air cleaner. But when the engine ShOWHlg a modified form of control means 79 is running at high speeds, the suction is in 01 the auxiliary air intake openings. creased and the amount of ,air required is fReferrlng partlglllarly to 1ithe embodnnient reater than can ordinarily be drawn in 0 my lnventlon s own in igures '1 an 2, through the cleaner due to the resistance ofthe reference character 10 indicates a cylinfergd to the current the dirt reigiloving 1 hel l; Whl h m? tthellpody POItlOlgf ine'ium or cirt separa ing means ereln. 8 l C aner. p a e is secure 0 It is an object of the invention to provide one end of the shell 10 as by crimping its means whereby an air supply suflicient for ou er edg over a clrc eren al flang on the needs of the engine is assured at all that end of the shell as indicated at 12. The

so ti plate 11 protiliderllfulrlith a circular gintral so It nother ob'ect of the invention to ro- PQ g g V 10 P OJ C S 1n 0 e invide :1? air cleaniar having an auxiliary air tenor h cleaner the h ge P p intake opening through which air may be ad- 13 h 1S Q to h Portlon 0f the mitted to the interior of the cleaner and pass P z 1 g tgp f gd gl l 5 tl 1 th "h the ormal dis- 1 P 2 6 ge e P a e 3 h i r e op ndii i ithoi itiicounte iing the 11 is provided with a series of inwardly diz: N a I sistai ice set up by the dirt separating means. R d- Struck'mlt vanes d adJaCent ano It is another object of the invention to pro- 2 l? g gl h P F 0f "vide an air cleaner having a main air intake t msl e t e s 9 them 15 Provlded an U 1 air dischar e 0 enin and a air straightener blade 16. H I

t t j t 1 G p g Adjacent the end opposite the plate 11,,the

an m {1. fi t side wall of p the shell is provided with a 1S an9ther O lecto e tangential dirt discharge opening 17. The vide an air cleaner having a ma n air intake end the Shell adjacent this Opening is 4:5 P an dlschal'ge pn ea and an closed bya plate 18,;which is secured to the auxlllm'y Controlled a11ntake opemng side wall of the shell similarly to-the plate which is adapted to admit air to the cleaner 11 v Th l t 18 i id d ith t l when the pressure within the cleaner reaches auxiliary air intake openings 19 arranged a a predetermined point. 0 about a. central annulus 20 and separated by It is another ob ect of the invention to prospokes 21 integral with the annulus and the general description of the air cleaner shown in Figures 3 and 4 has been completed.

In Figures .3 and 4, the reference character 40 indicates the body portion of the air is provided at its smaller end with an integrally formed closure 41 having a central air discharge opening 42 therein. Extending.

around the greater part of the opening 42 and integral with the closure 41 is a collar 43. Fora portion of its circumference the collar is separated from the closure 41, as indicated at 44. Intermediate the ends of this separated portion, the collar; is split and the free ends of the tongues thus formed bent outwardly to provide the lugs 45.- The lugs 45 are perforated for the reception of a bolt which in conjunction with a nut is adapted to draw the collar tightly around and secure it. to the conduit which conducts the clean air away from the cleaner. In its side wall adjacentits smaller end, the body portion 40 is provided with a tangential dirt discharge opening 46. The reference character' 47 indicates a circular plate which is secured in the larger end of the body portion 40 of the cleaner by clamping its circumferential edge between the outwardly extending circumferential flange 48 and the crimped portion 49 thereof. The plate 47 is provided with sectoral auxiliary air intake ope'nings'50 arranged about a central annulus51 and separated by spokes 52 integral with the annulus and the outer portion of the'plate. Between the outer edges of the openings and its outeredge, the plate 47 is provided with a series of inwardly directed struck-out vanes 53 and adjacent air intake openings 54.

The following description applies to Figures 14 inclusive. The openings 19 (or 50) are normally closed by a valve disk 22 which has a circumferential flange 23 hearing against the inner side of the plate 18 (or 47). A rod 24 within the body portion of the cleaner passes through a central opening in the disk 22 and has a shoulder 25 bearing against the inner side of the annulus and, a reduced end portion 26 passing through the central opening therein. The rod 24 is secured to the plate by annut 27 which is threaded on the reduced portion of the rod and holds the shoulder firmly against the inner side of the annulus. A coiled spring 28 surrounds the rod 24, bearing at opposite ends against the'disk 22 and the cup-shaped washer 29, whichis held in place on the rod by the pin 30, and normally holds the disk 22 closely against the plate 18 (or 47).

"outside of the annulus. cleaner, which is fustro-conlcal 1n shape and The reference character 31 indicates a bracket which is used to support or mount the air cleaner in its operative position. The bracket is secured to the cleaner by a nut 32 threaded on the end of the reduced portion of the rod 24 which passes through an opening in the bracket. If the bracket 31 is not used, the rod 24 may be secured to the plate by heading the reduced end thereof on the In Figure 5, there is shown a modified means for controlling the auxiliary air openings which is applicable to both of the cleaners heretofore described. Referring to this figure, the reference character designatesa plate which may be plain, like plate 18, or providedwith vanes, like plate 47, and which isprovided with sectoral openings 61 arranged about a central annulus 62 and separated by-spokes 63 integral with the annulus and the outer portion of the plate, just as in Figures 2 and 4. The openings 61 are normally closed by a valve disk 64, similar to 22. A rod 65 which extends through the central opening in the annulus 62 has shoulders 66 and 67 and reduced portions 68 and 69 at its inner and outer ends, respec tively. The reduced portions 68 and 69 extend through central openings in the disk 64 and the washer 7 0, respectively, and are headed as at 71 and 72 firmly secu'ringthe disk and the washer'to opposite ends of the rod. A coiled spring 73 surrounds the pin 65, bearing at its opposite ends against'the annulus and the washer, and normally holds the disk closely against the plate. A sleeve 74 having slots in its inner-end in which fit the spokes 63is secured to the plate 60 by crimping'the portions of the sleeve between the slots around the inner side of the annulus, as indicated at 7'5. Th'e'sleeve, it will be noted, acts, through the medium of the washer, as a guide for the pin and prevents too much lateral movement ofthe spring.

In the operation of the air cleaner shown in Figures 1 and 2, the pipe 13 is connected to the air intakeof a carburetor or other source of suction to which itis desired to supply clean air. Air is drawn through the openings15 into the cleaner, impinges against the blades 14 which give ita rotary motion which throws the dirt to the outside and finally out of the opening 17. The cleaned air impinges against the straightener blade 16, enters the pipe 13 and due to the straightener blade loses its rotary motion,- passing out of thecleaner through the pipe 13 to the from the plate, against the pressure of the spring 28 and additional air is admitted to the cleaner through the openings 19 and is drawn out of the cleaner through the pipe 13.

The air cleaner shown in Figures 3 and 4 operates in a manner similar to that described both under suctions below and above the predetermined amount and it seems unnecessary to give a. detailed description of its operation. It is understood, of course, that a conduit leading to the source of suction will be connected to the smaller end of the cleaner by clamping the collar 13 around it. It is obvious that the valve shown in Figure 5 may be substituted for that shown in Figures 1-4 without affecting the operation of either air cleaner.

The pressure at which air is admitted to the cleaner through the auxiliary air openings is, of course, of the spring used to keep the Valve disk against the plate and may be varied by chang ing the spring or if desired a means for regulating the tension of the spring may be provided It is obvious that my invention is not limited to use on the types of air cleaners on which it is shown nor are the air cleaners on dependent on the strength 7 ing a wall having therethrough an opening,

5. In an air cleaner, a plate having openings therein arranged about a portion of the plate, openings between the first openings and the outer edge of the plate, cent said second openings, and a valve controlling the first openings.

6. In anair cleaner, a shell substantially and vanes ad'a circular in cross section, means closing one closing the other 7. In an air cleaner, 'a body portion includopenings in the wall around the first-mentioned opening, vanes adjacent said secondmentioned openings, and a valve for controlling the first-mentioned opening.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

' MARK L. BLAIR.

which it is used limited to use on induction systems of internal combustion engines.

I claim:

1. In an air cleaner, a member having an air intake opening therein, a rod secured to said member and extending therethrough, a disk slidable on the rod to control the opening, means to normally hold said disk against said member to close the opening, and a bracket for supporting the air cleanersecured to the rod. I

2. In an air cleaner, a shell substantially circular in cross section, a plate closing one end of said shell and having therein a central air discharge opening and air intake opening-s between the central opening and the outer edge thereof and vanes adjacent said latter openings to give the air entering therethrough a rotary motion, a plate closing the other end and having openings thereinarof the shell ranged about a portion of said plate, and a valve to control the last named openings.

3. In an air cleaner, a body portion including a wall having therein an air discharge opening, air intake openings around the discharge opening, and vanes adjacent the air intake openings, and a second wall having therethrough a valve-controlled auxiliary air intake opening.

4. In an air cleaner, a body portion in which there is provided a main air intake opening, a main air discharge opening and an auxiliaryair intake opening, vanes adjacent the main air intake opening to impart a whirling motion to the air which enters the interior of the body portion therethrough,"

and a valve for controlling the admission of air into the interior of the body portion through the auxiliaryair intake opening. 

